I don't intend this post to be sexist in any way so i'm sorry in advance if i offend anyone.

From a young age most boys are told not to hit girls. A few years ago at my first competition i was fighting a girl a belt above me (purple) who was slightly taller and a bit older but had a lot poorer technique than me: weak blocks, slouching stance, slow punches etc (all the schools involved were a bit mcdojo-y) but i found i had an in built problem fighting this girl and fought only defensively never landing any blows. i couldn't bring myself to hit her from the saying that had been pounded into me for years. has anyone else had this problem?

(and if it wasn't for her i would have been silver not joint bronze lol grrr )

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Go seek the advise of a qualified instructor.

Ok thats your problem solve it by thinking this way, one of the reason for Co-ed classes is for women to learn how to deal with men. So in order to help her you have to start making light contact. Start by telgraphy to help her, show the fist or kick you gonna strike with (wiggle it) or (raise it) kick or strike moderately fast as she learns to block it throw it harder and harder. So she work this into single counter then combinations. Do this offensively and defensively trying to hit her but pulling back some. She needs to learn to use her foot work and her blocks to defend, take offensive and counter.

When she is attacking you tell her faster and harder push her to train harder to deal with a mans strengths so she can learn how to counter or attack within it. You can't play with her thinking she can't do it, she wouldn't have that rank if she didn't have the bsic skills, maybe not yet but with your help she can get it.

Some women that spar men often tear thru their division until they meet another female tiger. Make her a tiger instead of a kitty Cat. So you see its not all about you is It.

Women can give some pretty weird fakes and fients that can throw a skilled fighter off, some can hit pretty hard and have really good combinations, thats where we want to take her.

I've always been told not to hit girls and I had no problem hitting them in sparring. When I started I went a lot lighter, but training with the same people(girls) for a while, I started hitting them harder and they did the same to me.

She is there to fight, not to have people make her feel better and disillusion her about being a girl.

Wail away buddy!!

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We should all take ourselves seriously...and then crumple that image up and toss it out the window.

Quote:Ok thats your problem solve it by thinking this way, one of the reason for Co-ed classes is for women to learn how to deal with men. So in order to help her you have to start making light contact. Start by telgraphy to help her, show the fist or kick you gonna strike with (wiggle it) or (raise it) kick or strike moderately fast as she learns to block it throw it harder and harder. So she work this into single counter then combinations. Do this offensively and defensively trying to hit her but pulling back some. She needs to learn to use her foot work and her blocks to defend, take offensive and counter.

When she is attacking you tell her faster and harder push her to train harder to deal with a mans strengths so she can learn how to counter or attack within it. You can't play with her thinking she can't do it, she wouldn't have that rank if she didn't have the bsic skills, maybe not yet but with your help she can get it.

Some women that spar men often tear thru their division until they meet another female tiger. Make her a tiger instead of a kitty Cat. So you see its not all about you is It.

Women can give some pretty weird fakes and fients that can throw a skilled fighter off, some can hit pretty hard and have really good combinations, thats where we want to take her.

Good luck, when she is gets better you will have to get better.

I am just wondering if you only do this with girls who are less experienced or also guys who are less experienced? If you are standing opposite a beginner guy, do you telegraph as well, starting with light contact or do you go in much harder from the start?

From a teaching prepective I do it with anybody having trouble blocking or delievery a technique. You not talking about beating the person as in a real competition fight. Its training after she/he is use to blocking power shots then u try it without the warning and build to move in and out of combinations. The key with a co-ed class is to build confidence and both people get something out it.

Yes I believe blocking something they see coming 1st, is more important then getting hit several times by something they can't block, this can make them afraid to spar. Its just the basic/physchology of sparring, its harder to block something that you are afraid of then something you've been taught you can block/evade.

Its about helping not winning in Training. So the answer to your question is maybe, pending how advance they are.

In competition in pads if you can't strike her on the side of the helmet without hurting her or punch/kick her in the stomach to just out point her. You do have a stero complex, you must be Jr. or peewee other then that Co-eds don't sparr together. Lose the complex at that age they are smarter (to give U err!) and stronger (its just true) then you are and hit harder!!! You won't catch up until you are about 12 or 13.

When I was eight I had a girl grab me by my ankle and arm spin me in a circle and let go, she was 8 or 9. I thought I was never gonna land, pretty embarassing nothing I could do, unless I wanted it to happen again.

I was just curious about people's (read men) attitude towards women in martial arts. There is another interesting thread going on about women and martial arts.

Personally I wouldn't want to be treatened different because I am a woman. Yes of course I do not have the strength of a big strong bloke in the prime of his life, who has been working out daily for a greater part of his life. But don't you alsways have to adapt yourself to the other persons level while training with a junior grade? Wether that is a woman, or a young guy not fully developed.I know my shortcomings, but that means I would have to make sure that I train hard to overcome these, or try to do better on other parts so I can still stand my ground. If people won't take me seriously and constantly take it easy on me, I won't be able to progress, or develop my strong pionts, because I wouldn't be pushed.

Not being taken seriously because I am a woman would be a bigger turnoff on MA than being pushed hard if you know what I mean